We're just 15 minutes into a 90-minute class, and already the teacher is losing his patience.

"Why don't you know the answer? Why don't you know the answer? We studied this! I will hit you!" The teacher goes through the class calling on each student, none of whom can give a correct answer. It never occurs to him that if all of his students don’t know the answer, perhaps he hasn’t taught it well enough. Some students line up to receive their beating, others wait anxiously on their benches and the teacher has to hold them in place as he slaps their hands with the stick.

One of Scott Goldstein's classes.

My wife and I are in a middle school classroom in Togo, West Africa, observing teachers as part of our work here for a local development NGO. We’re English teachers back in D.C., and we’re here to teach English to students and train teachers on sound pedagogy practices, or the method and practice of teaching. Most teachers here simply study the subject they eventually teach but don’t study teaching itself. Togo is just one of many places where learning pedagogy isn’t part of becoming a classroom teacher. To raise the standards of the teaching profession, all educators need explicit training in pedagogy and the time and space to practice it.

We spent the first four months of the school year working with students and teachers in Indonesia, where we saw discipline problems and classes with bell-to-bell instruction, even at the private institution where we spent most of our time. My time so far in Togo has showed me just how much time and education can be lost when pedagogy itself isn’t taught, let alone practiced and perfected. When students are forced to stand up in front of the class for what seems like an eternity as the teacher waits for an answer the students simply don't have, students don’t learn. When teachers try to force an answer by re-explaining the same way (ad nauseam) but never demonstrate, prompt, or elicit meaning, students don’t learn. When the first student to raise his hand in a room of 50 students is called on immediately every time, it means most students don’t learn. Seeing this is especially frustrating when the classrooms are packed (often over-packed) with students who desperately want to learn.

All of these problems exist in so much of the world, but we can't ignore the reality that in the United States, we have students that disappear into the background of overcrowded classrooms, teachers who practice discipline in ways that exacerbate bad behaviors, and instruction that doesn’t meet learners where they are. In our search for answers to these persistent problems, we've placed a big emphasis on the debate over how we prepare teachers for the classroom. And in that debate, we cannot underestimate the importance of learning and practicing good pedagogy—pedagogy based on research of best practices and the knowledge of experienced educators. After all, it doesn't necessarily take a two-year, master’s program to learn the importance of teacher "wait time,” differentiating for student learning styles, or the logical sequencing of a good lesson. Practicing those things, however, and the routine of trying to do them all simultaneously while presented with classroom management issues and other interruptions of the day? That takes years to master. At the annual YEP-DC Policy-to-Practice conference two years ago, the keynote address was given by Principal David Pinder of McKinley Technology High School in D.C. gave the keynote address. In his speech he made the point that when he interviews potential hires he places top priority on their knowledge and passion for their own subject matter, he said, because teacher enthusiasm rubs off on students. I agree with the sentiment, but we can’t rely so heavily on content knowledge at the expense of pedagogical skill. In many circles of the education policy world, including on this blog, we have lamented the fact that many teachers come from the bottom half (or third) of their graduating classes and our multiple paths to entering the teaching profession produce less respect for the profession and less qualified professionals than in fields like medicine or law. While this is true, let’s not forget that good teaching is not all about IQ, natural talent, and personality. Good teaching is learned. We can’t raise the standards of the profession by putting our K-12 classrooms in the same conundrum as our universities, where teachers are experts in their fields but don’t know how to teach. Part of the answer may lie in the other half of Pinder’s equation: The emphasis on subject matter expertise was paired with Master Teaching Academies at his high school, where first-year teachers teach only one class and instead, focus intensely on learning to teach from master educators. That idea is critical because the practice of putting good pedagogical practices to work on a daily basis too often takes a back seat to a teacher’s more pressing daily concerns — making materials, grading, extracurricular activities, and more. This concept creates the necessary space for teachers to effectively learn pedagogy and bring it into the classroom.

Back in Togo, we’re observing in another school and the end of the class is approaching. With only about three minutes left, the instruction proceeds as normal until the bell. There is no “closing” and the students ultimately produced no evidence of learning, but before they leave, the teacher reminds them sternly to study what they learned today at home. As the lesson ends we proceed back to the front office of the school where the teacher asks us if we have any feedback on his lesson.

The school director jumps in: “No — you have to ask them if they have any negative feedback!”

Inside I still feel like smacking my palm to my forehead, Homer Simpson-style, over and over again. But they’re asking for advice, and that’s a great place to start. After all, most teachers are in this profession because they genuinely want to help their students learn. Let’s make sure they know how.

Want to attend this year's YEP-DC policy-to-practice conference? More info and registration details here.Scott Goldstein, guest blogger, is a D.C. based teacher and teacher trainer spending this school year training teachers abroad in Indonesia, Togo, and Mexico. He was a blogger for Recess in 2013-14. Reach him via email or Twitter.

THere Is No Doubt From Your Comments That A Massive Overhaul Is Needed In The Education System In The Countries You Are Serviceing.You And Liz.Are Doing An Amazing.Job. I Hope You Will Be Able To Leave A Lasting Message On How To Teach. I Am Appalled At The Amount Of Punishment Meted Out To Students. Can That Ever Be Changed.That Is A Rhetorical Question. Keep Up The Great Work.

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Audrey Winograd

2/20/2015 02:42:16 am

I agree. Whether at home or abroad, yes, it is pedagogy that matters. And how we construct that which we "teach" is equally as important. It is not easy to be both culturally responsive and student/person-centered while meeting organizational demands. It takes education at all levels to make it possible. Pedagogy is more than thinking about and acting on how we learn. It takes relationships: between student and student, student and teacher, teacher and administrator and each of the above in relationship with with social environment. Teaching well takes continual reflection and reflexivity in the context of the student, the content and the environment in which learning is to take place. The most important thing you said here is that teaching is learned. It thus, must be fostered.

Second comment is that pedagogy is becoming increasingly more important in higher ed here in the states, above and beyond content. Law professors know their substantive course material, but are being called on to study learning theory. Science professors too are turning to the education department as well as teacher trainings to learn what they never knew about learning. We would all do well to learn how we learn, to think about our thinking and above all, to listen. When we teach listening, we foster relationships, the core of all learning.

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YEP-DC is a nonpartisan group of education professionals who work in research, policy, and practice – and even outside of education. The views expressed here are only those of the attributed author, not YEP-DC. This blog aims to provide a forum for our group’s varied opinions. It also serves as an opportunity for many more professionals in DC and beyond to participate in the ongoing education conversation. We hope you chime in, but we ask that you do so in a considerate, respectful manner. We reserve the right to modify or delete any content or comments. For any more information or for an opportunity to blog, contact us via one of the methods below.

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MONICA GRAY is co-founder & president of DreamWakers, an edtech nonprofit. She writes on education innovation and poverty.

LYDIA HALL is a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she works on education, civil rights, and other issues. Lydia is interested in helping to bridge the gap between Capitol Hill and the classroom.

MOSES PALACIOS is an advocate for student rights and works as a Research Manager for the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) - a coalition of urban school districts across the nation. He writes on issues regarding the children of immigrants and students learning English as a second language. His views are his own and not representative of CGCS.

PATRICIA RUANE is aresearch associate at an education nonprofit. She is an editor of Recess. ​LESLIE WELSH is a high school social studies teacher in DC. She is an editor of Recess.